Landscaping & Grounds SWMS Templates

Landscaping itself is not automatically high-risk construction work (HRCW), but specific activities within it are. Under WHS Regulation 2025 clause 291, tree felling above 2 metres, excavation deeper than 1.5 metres for irrigation or retaining walls, and work near energised electrical lines all trigger SWMS requirements. Operating powered mobile plant such as mini excavators and skid-steers also falls under HRCW Category 13. A SWMS must be prepared before the activity starts and kept available for inspection.

A standalone chainsaw SWMS is strongly recommended because AS 2727:2017 imposes specific controls — operator competency, chaps, kickback zone exclusion, and felling cut sequence — that a general landscaping SWMS cannot adequately detail. Regulators expect task-specific documentation where the hazard profile is materially different. The same logic applies to wood chippers, brushcutters and tree felling, which have distinct entanglement, projectile and struck-by risks under the Plant Code of Practice.

Commercial herbicide and pesticide application requires a state-issued chemical user licence — names vary (e.g. ChemCert, AQF3) but all align with the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code. Under the Managing the Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice, the PCBU must also maintain a current SDS register, provide chemical-resistant PPE, and ensure decanting and storage meet AS/NZS 2243.10 where applicable. The SWMS must record the licence number and product registration details.

Engineered and natural stone paver cutting generates respirable crystalline silica, which is regulated under WHS Regulation 2025 with a workplace exposure standard of 0.05 mg/m³ (8-hour TWA). The hierarchy of controls requires on-tool water suppression or LEV first, with P2 respirators as a last layer. A SWMS for paving must document the cutting method, dust control, and reference the Working with Silica and Silica Containing Products Code of Practice released in 2024.

Yes — the SWMS obligation under WHS Regulation 2025 clause 299 is triggered by the activity being high-risk construction work, not by project value or whether the site is residential. A backyard tree removal involving work above 2 metres, or a retaining wall excavation past 1.5 metres, requires a SWMS regardless of contract size. The threshold-based notifications relate to principal contractor appointment, not SWMS preparation.